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Scientists at Texas Biomedical Research Institute have discovered new defense against HIV-1, the virus that causes AIDS. They used an animal model to show that an antibody- Immunoglobulin M (IgM) was effective in preventing infection after mucosal AIDS virus exposure.
Rhesus monkeys at the Southwest National Primate Research Center on the Texas Biomed served as models for the in vivo study. They treated the animals with a human-made version of IgM, which is naturally produced by plasma cells located under the epithelium (the surface lining of body cavities). After one hour, the same animals were exposed to simian-human immunodeficiency virus SHIV. Four out of the six animals treated this were protected against the virus. The animals were monitored for 82 days.
They discovered that applying the IgM antibodies causes immune exclusion. IgM prevents the virus from crossing the mucosal barrier and spreading to the rest of the body. The technique of introducing pre-formed antibodies into the body to create immunity is passive immunization. The protective potential of mucosal anti-HIV-1 IgM. IgM has a five-times higher ability to bind to virus particles compared to the standard antibody form called IgG.